John Lewis Partnership announces partnership with Wipro

The John Lewis Partnership partners Wipro Limited to support new technology and change function

The John Lewis Partnership has announced the creation of a new partnership with Wipro Limited, a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, to provide infrastructure services.

This represents a significant step in the creation of the employee-owned business new Technology and Change function, which will better support its business strategy and enable it to respond even more quickly to the digital expectations of customers.

Following a comprehensive review of the Partnership’s existing IT and Change capabilities, this agreement with Wipro represents a major change in the way the business will develop and run its technology infrastructure, ensuring that services which rely on these digital foundations are delivered swiftly, securely and successfully.

Wipro will deliver technology infrastructure services such as cloud hosting, networks, end-user compute and an internal help desk for the Partnership’s 80,000 Partners. To support this new relationship, 244 non-customer facing John Lewis Partnership Partners are expected to transfer to Wipro later this year under the Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment regulations (TUPE). Once with Wipro, these Partners will continue to work closely with the John Lewis Partnership in their new roles.

“This is an important milestone in the evolution of our Technology and Change team, as we become better equipped to support the Partnership’s future business strategy. Consumer behaviour is changing and in a post-COVID-19 world, we need to be more agile, adapting more quickly to change,” said Mike Sackman, Chief Information Officer at the John Lewis Partnership.

“Wipro will support us in the delivery of that ambition, ensuring that we always have access to up-to-date technologies and specialist expertise. Partners transferring to this new supplier – like those who continue to be directly employed by the Partnership – will remain fundamental to the success of our Technology and Change activity and to the future success of our business.”

Srini Pallia, President, Consumer Business Unit, Wipro Limited said: “We are happy to be selected as a strategic transformation partner by the John Lewis Partnership. Retail and consumer buying behaviour has transformed and our big bets on industry solutions, Cloud, Digital, Cyber Security and Wipro’s AI and Automation Platform Wipro Holmes, position us well to accelerate the Partnership’s key priorities. Both companies have synergistic value systems and we look forward to building a successful long term partnership.”